Thriller Books You Should Check Out
​
April 24, 2024
by Mai El Mokadem
​
​
1. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas - Mai’s Recommendation
"Wouldn't we all look guilty, if someone searched hard enough?"
This novel is a young adult thriller novel that takes a dark turn on a vacation. A group of friends, including Anna, her boyfriend Tate, and her best friend Elise, head to Aruba for a wild spring break. Paradise turns nightmarish when Elise is murdered. Anna, stuck in a foreign country, becomes the prime suspect and has to fight for her innocence. The novel explores themes like betrayal, the complexities of friendship and the struggle for justice. How do you know if it’s worth a read? Well, Dangerous Girls is a complex and rewarding read. It juggles multiple themes and storylines without sacrificing any. Unlike some mysteries that rely solely on a shocking twist, Abigail Haas crafts a compelling narrative so it’s more than just a thriller. The ending is just the cherry on top – the book itself is a rollercoaster of emotions that delivers an immersive experience from beginning to end.
2. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave - Farah’s Recommendation
“This is the terrible thing about a tragedy. It isn’t with you every minute. You forget it, and then you remember it again. And you see it with a stark quality: This is what is required of you now, just to get along.”
The story follows Hannah Hall, a woman whose husband Owen disappears with a cryptic message left behind: "Protect her." Hannah is left to care for Owen's teenage daughter, Bailey, whom she barely knows. Together, they must untangle the secrets of Owen's past and find out why he vanished. The novel is a fast-paced read, with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. It is also a story about family, love, and loss. The narrative centers on a woman of unconventional artistic pursuits who previously held a cynical view of love. After finding happiness with her husband, her world is turned upside down by his sudden disappearance. In playful irony, after her husband used to teasingly remark on her forgetfulness and absentmindedness in the past, she then loses him, too. The protagonist's attempts to contact her husband are met with silence, why is U.S. Marshal from another jurisdiction insisting on getting involved? Well, you’ll have to read to find out.
3. Unravel by Calia Read - Mai’s Recommendation
“Anyone that has the power to open up your heart without you even knowing, should terrify you.”
Naomi Carradine's life is turned upside down when she's admitted to a psychiatric ward. The story centers around Naomi's struggle to differentiate between reality and hallucinations. A mysterious figure named Max reaches out to Naomi, and she becomes determined to help him. Part love story, part psychological thriller, the book is classified as New Adult fiction, incorporating elements contemporary mystery. Naomi insists she's in love with Max, a constant presence in her thoughts. Doctors doubt his existence, believing him to be a hallucination. The narrative alternates between Naomi's current hospitalization and her past, recounted to her psychiatrist. The question presses: Is Max real, as Naomi claims, or a figment? Will the doctors ever believe her? More importantly, will you? “I'm not crazy," I repeat. "I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy..." Do you believe her?